Typical Michael Bay

Rating: 5/10 (18 August 2005)

I feel somewhat disappointed in the circumstances in which i saw this film. There were two choices as i stood in the Que of my local cinema, one being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and one being the new Michael Bay movie. Alas i was overruled by my fellow friends and i am still yet to see the new Delight from the unquestionable Depp/Burton collaborative team.
That's not to say i didn't want to see this. For all his flaws, Mr. Bay can produce some entertaining popcorn fodder. Both Bad Boys and The Rock had their moments and Armageddon is still watchable (albeit only on the odd, rare occasion). I'd rather not mention Pearl Harbour (notice the "U" is intact) or Bad Boys II although they, too, had some pretty impressive moments.
The Island, on the outset, looks like a break from the regular Bay/Bruckheimer mold (The fact that old Jerry ain't involved in this one is a huge step in the right direction). It deals with some very interesting themes (Cloning. Should we/Shouldn't we?) and features what i call "guenuine" actors rather than the next pretty face to appear on MTV.
And it works...well almost.
For all it's promises, this is, at the end of the day, a Michael Bay Movie, and however high my hopes were, they all came crashing down on that basis. What is it with this guy and cutting every 30 seconds? I may not be in the business Michael but i know that cutting on this magnitude is only a hindrance. There is no need for it so, in future DON'T DO IT! It is also apparent that he feels more at home when the carnage starts. The first act of the film feels..not rushed but haphazard. The only truly engaging scene, i felt, was McGreggor's 1st encounter with bad-guy of the year Sean Bean. His constant questioning of the environment around him provides a brief glimpse of the turmoil that's about to unfold. But this is not enough i'm afraid (the scene happens some 10minutes into the film). Until things start going tits up, the film buckles on it's own premise, unsure of how to achieve what it set out to do.
Once the pace picks up however, Bay is in his element. In a bizarre twist, the major saving grace of this film is Bay's precise knowledge of how to blow sh*t up. An boy does he put this knowledge to good use. Explosions, car chases, more explosions, more car chases. Once our Protagonists are on the run it seems that nothing is safe from bay and his pyrotechnic team. And although you can't help but titter and the extreme amount of collateral damage caused, you can't help but stare in awe at the raw intensity of the middle act.
And one can't accuse Bay of lacking in style. This film is full of it. Even when the film lags or feels uncomfortable (and with the excessive cutting you bound to feel uneasy) it is still stunning to look at. The noir drenched look of the real world as a dark, dinjy, dirty place. The calm, paradise-esquire feel of the cloning facility. All these aspect enhance the emotions of our characters, and many a camera technique shows this too.
It is the third and final act however that causes the audience to crave something more. The man on a mission side of things seems tired and used, as McGreggor sets out to save his fellow clones. The clichés are as transparent as they are obvious and, in all honesty, a bore to watch. By the time the final cringe-worthy moments arrive i had had enough.
It is as if it is 3 films as opposed to 1 as it comes off as a Sci-Fi-cum-fugitive-on-the-run-cum-man-on-a-mission mish-mash. You can't blame Bay for trying, but what he has here is something that could've been so much more. Not a complete failure, but still a disappointment. A truly promising concept has been turned into your generic action yarn.
3/5